Household furniture



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. M. J. WALSH.

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M. J. WALSH. HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE,

Patented Feb. 11, 1890 Fwd.

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FFICEQ ATEN MARTIN J. WALSH, OF PARSONS, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,118, dated February 11, 1890.

Application filed August 6, 1889. Serial No, 319,915 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN J. WALSH, of Parsons, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Household Furniture, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved article of furniture, and has for its object to combine in the one piece a kneeling or prayer bench, a chair, a desk, and a table, and to so construct the article that the several parts thereof may be folded up to occupy but a limited space when in use only as a kneelingbench; and a further object of the invention is to so'construct the several parts that they will be simple and durable and capable of convenient and expeditious manipulation.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the article of furniture, illustrating the chair in position for use, the table up, and one arm extended, adapted to support the writing-desk. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the device when folded up and capable of use asa kneeling or prayer bench. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the article of furniture, illustrating the writing-desk and the chair in position for use. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through the article, the chair, table, and desk being in position for use. Fig. 5 is a similar section when the device is folded up or in position as a kneeling or prayer chair, and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the arms.

The body of the device consists of a base 10, mounted upon suitable casters 11, side pieces 12, projected upward from the base, which side pieces are about half the width of the base, and are connected at the upper end by a crosspiece 13, being made to project as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The front edges of the side pieces 12 are preferably beveled upward and out ward from the bottom to a point above the center, as illustrated at 14 in Figs. 1 and 2, and thence they arebeveled inwardly.

In the opposed faces of the side pieces 12 a spindle 15 is pivoted, nearer the front than the rear edges of the said side pieces, and upon the said spindle the rearend of a chair-seat 16 is rigidly secured, two front legs 17 being hinged beneath the seat, as shown in Fig. 4.

lVhen theseat is not in use, the legs are folded up beneath it and the seat is carried to a perpendicular position between the side pieces, as shown in Fig. 2. WVhen, however, it is desired to use the seat, itis brought to a horizontal position, the legs drawn down to a vertical position, and the lower ends of the legs, which are reduced, are made to enter sockets or recesses 19, of suitable size, produced in the base 10 at or near the front.

The space between the base 10 and the upper cross-piece 13, near the top, is divided into three compartments, A, B, and O, by means of two horizontal spaced partitions 20 and 21, located near the upper portion of the space, the compartment A being adapted for the reception of the chair-seat, and the upper compartment 0 for books, beads, or other necessary articles of devotion, and the center compartment E is divided into a series of sub-compartments by vertical partitions 22, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the front of this compartment is covered by a hinged door-23, which may, if desired, be provided with a lock. The top piece or strip 13 of the body is also made to project over the back piece of the same, and the side pieces 12 are connected at the rear by a board or boards forming the back of the compartments A, B, and O, and to the overhanging portion of the upper cross-strip 13 a table 24 is hinged, adapted, when not in use, to hang perpendicularly edownward, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and when in use the table is carried to a hori zontal position in the same plane with the upper cross-piece 13, and is held in such po sition by a brace-bar 25, pivoted to the under side of the leaf, and supported by a bracket 26, secured to the back of the body.

The overhanging portion of the cross-piece 13 at the front is recessed to receive arms 2'7, which arms are hinged to said cross-piece,

as illustrated in Fig. 2. These arms are shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, each arm having produced in the outer or front end a longitudinal slot 28, and one of the two members a and a, formed by the said slot, is cut away, as best shown in Fig. 0, and in the rear portion of the slot 28 of each arm the upper end of abrace-rod 29 is pivoted, which rod is of sufficient width, when folded up, to enter the slot 28, as shown in Fig. 7, and an extension 30 is formed upon one side of the arm, the inner end of which extension contacts with the outer end of the shorter member a of the arm, the outer end of the main portion of the brace-bar 29 is beveled, as illustrated at 32 in Figs. 6 and 7, and the extension 30 is made to project beyond the said beveled portion, as is shown in the same figures. When the arms are carried to the horizontal position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4c, the brace-bar 29 is dropped downward and the projecting end of the extension 30 is made to enter one of two or more cavities 33, formed in blocks 34:, one of which blocks is rigidly attached to the outer face of each side piece 12. The angle of inclination of the arms is regulated by the location of the cavity in which the brace-bar 29 of the arms is introduced.

Awriting-desk 35 is used in connection with the device, which consists, preferably, of a rectangular board of suitable length and width, hung, when not in use, at the rear of the body, as shown in Fig. 5; and to that end the desk-board is provided at one end with attached eyes 30, adapted to be engaged by hooks 37, fastened in the under portion of the overhanging section of the top piece 13. \Vhen the table 2i is not in use, the desk is hung upon the hooks 37. hen the table is in use, however, in order that the desk may not be in the way of its brace-bar 25, the eyes of the desk are connected with hooks 37 fastened to the under side of the leaf near the rear edge, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l.

The desk is provided with a transverse batten 37 at or near each end, and upon each batten a button 38 is pivoted.

\Vhen the desk is to be used, the chair is placed in position, as aforesaid, and when the operator is seated the battens are made to enter the slots 28 in the arms, and the buttons are turned, thereby securing the desk to the arms transversely of the same.

The desk may be provided with a suitable receptacle for an inkstand and pens, if so desired.

sockets,

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a piece of furniture consisting of a box-like body having a chair-seat pivoted therein, which seat is provided with suitable front hinged legs, arms hinged to the side pieces of the body, and a desk supported by and secured tothe arms when the latter are sustained in a horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a piece of furniture comprising a body portion having a wide base, a chair-seat hinged at one end between the side pieces of the body and provided with hinged legs, arms hinged to the side pieces of the body at or near the top having bifurcated outer ends, a brace-bar hinged in the bifurcated extremities of the arms adapted to rest in sockets secured to the side pieces of the body, a writing-desk table provided with battens upon the under surface adapted to fit in the bifurcated ends of the arms when the latter are in a horizontal position, and buttons pivoted upon the said battens, substantially as shown and described, whereby the article of, furniture may be employed as a writing desk and seat, or as a seat, or as a kneeling or prayer bench, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a body comprisin g vertical side pieces, a top piece, and a base of greater width than the side pieces, said base provided with a series of apertures or and blocks containing cavities attached to each of the side pieces, of a chairseat pivoted at one end between the side pieces of the body, legs hinged to the under portion of the said seat adapted to enter the sockets in the base, arms bifurcated at their outer ends, hinged to the front of the body at or near the top, each arm provided with an attached pivoted brace capable of entering the cavities of the side blocks, and a writingtable provided with battens upon the under surface capable of entering the space between the members of the arms, and buttons pivoted to the said battens, substantially as shown and described, whereby the table is secured to the said arms over the chair, as and for the purpose specified.

MARTIN J. \VALSH.

\Vitnesses:

J osnrn L. GALLAGHER, PATRICK GOLDEN. 

